Pink Flames
by YoungFool
Summary: A series of drabbles for the 14 prompts of Ty Luko Week 2009: Childhood, Upside Down, Freezing, Circus, Scars, Glare, Bendable, Performance, Another Life, Neglect, Safety Net, Slippers, Knowing, and Auras. CANCELLED.
1. Scars

Ty Luko Week 2009: Scars

**Scars**

Zuko sat near the pond in the back courtyard of the Fire Nation's Royal Palace. He looked at the turtle-ducks swimming peacefully in the clean, clear water. They quacked at him as he ripped bits of bread and shook them above their small heads in a teasing manner. They made him relax. Such innocent, playful little creatures.

Looking into the water, focusing on his rippled reflection, Zuko's eyes went to a specific part of his face. A big, crimson colored spot. His scar. Such a hideous feature he thought it was. It ruined his face. Took away from his appearance. Scared away younger children. He hated it.

"So ugly…" Zuko looked down into the reflection, aggravated. He chucked the remaining half of the loaf of bread into the pond out of pure frustration. The victims, the turtle-ducks, swam away, terrified of the angry being a hundred times their size.

He regretted it. He regretted having spoken up on that day in the war meeting. He regretted having been too scared of his father to act. He regretted that ugly, ruined flesh when he saw himself in reflections. And most of all, he regretted not having let that water tribe peasant heal his scarred face. A stupid mistake he thought it was.

Not far away, Ty Lee walked around the gardens of the Fire Nation's Royal Palace. She loved doing so, for the flowers were very pretty. She especially loved the pink ones. Wanting to smell one, she picked up the biggest, pinkest flower. But just before she was about to take in its rich fragrance, she heard the loud quacking of turtle-ducks. Curious as to what caused the uproar, Ty Lee made her way towards the pond. She spotted Zuko looking into the pond, covering his face with his palms.

"Hey, Zuko" Ty Lee greeted as she came behind Zuko. "Mind if I sit down?"

"I don't care" Zuko muttered after a long, silent while in which Ty Lee stared blankly at him.

"Okay," Ty Lee smiled as she took a seat next to the young prince. She stared at the boy with a blank expression, waiting for him to speak. But he didn't and her grin went flat. "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine" Zuko whispered through clenched teeth. It was obvious to Ty Lee that something was on his mind. She always knew, for they had known each other quite well as children.

"Zuko…" Ty Lee spoke with concern, bringing her hand to grab Zuko's, with intentions to pull it away so she could see his face. Zuko's right hand came off but his left remained on his face, covering the colored skin on his face. When Ty Lee noticed this, she immediately guessed that he was covering his scar. She'd never seen it up close before and was curious to do so now.

"Stop" Zuko spat out when Ty Lee tried to bring his hand down.

"Are you trying to cover…that? Zuko, I already saw it" Ty Lee lied reasonably, hoping Zuko would let the light winds caress it by removing his hand.

"It's ugly" Zuko whispered, slowly bringing his face down, assuming there was nothing to hide anymore.

"It's not bad" Ty Lee reassured, finally seeing it for the first time. She desired to touch it and asked if she could.

"No" Zuko replied bluntly, although he wasn't sure if he meant it. He wanted someone to touch it, care for it, and see the person behind it rather than the ugliness it showed. Ty Lee, regardless of what Zuko said, brought her hand to the burnt flesh and felt it with the tip of her fingers. Zuko didn't stir or protest.

"It's rough…" Ty Lee noted. She cupped his chin with a single hand and used the softness on her thumb to gently rub the scar, hoping to take in that feeling. Zuko still said nothing, but deep inside, he wished for her to not stop. It felt nice to him.

"Don't look at it…" Zuko muttered. "It's hideous"

"…No…it's not" Ty Lee spoke after considering. She thought of all the good things it brought to him.

"Don't lie to me just to make me feel better! It's ugly and I want it gone!" Zuko exploded, violently pushing Ty Lee's hand off of his face. He was upset at many things. And this girl, who Zuko assumed was lying just to comfort him, was making it harder for him to be at peace.

"Zuko, don't say that," Ty Lee spoke with a sweet tone, trying to give a smile. "It makes you _you_. It represents everything you went through. It shows your bravery and courage. It's your story. It's not useless…you should be lucky you have it. And it's definitely not ugly"

Zuko listened attentively to everything Ty Lee spoke, his eyes wide with realization. He looked down, ashamed. Finally he spoke, "What is it then?"

"I think it looks perfect on you. It's beautiful," Ty Lee smiled at him. "Personally, I like it"

"No one else thinks so" Zuko whispered.

"Don't worry about them," Ty Lee comforted. She looked into her hand and noticed the pink flower she had brought with her. She used its stem to pick apart the hair covering Zuko's left ear and gently placed the flower there. "That looks cute"

"I don't like flowers" Zuko spoke.

"Just leave it there, Zuko," Ty Lee giggled. "It looks nicer"

"Whatever" was all the prince said. Ty Lee got up and Zuko figured she was about to leave. After wishing him a good day and saying good-bye, she skipped away out of sight. Zuko couldn't help but to smile as he watched her leave.

**The End**


	2. Freezing

Ty Luko Week 2009: Freezing

**Freezing**

"That jerk…who does he think he is?" Zuko spoke aloud to himself, frustrated at a specific person from the party he was kicked out of just a half minute ago. With strong, heavy steps, he set out of the enormous house and out into the night, wandering aimlessly in the night through Ember Island. Someone saw him make his leave and followed him, mostly out of curiosity.

It wasn't long until Zuko had arrived upon the grounds of his father's old beach house. The scene flooded his head with memories of himself, and his sister, of when he was a mere child. He would have smiled warmly, but the situation wouldn't allow it. His mind was ravaged with the many pains the day had brought. He grumpily sat down on a bench in the open yard of the house and closed his eyes, many thoughts swirling through his hurting brain.

"Zuko?" a timid voice spoke from behind the prince no more than twenty seconds after he'd taken a seat. He immediately recognized the voice to be none other than the voice of his bubbly and over-active friend, Ty Lee.

"What do you want?" Zuko spoke seriously after turning his head, his eyes resembling dangerous daggers ready to mercilessly stab even the most innocent of creatures. The anger on his face was evident, causing the young acrobat to replace her smile with a saddened frown.

"Is everything okay? Why did you leave?" Ty Lee replied in a low, clearly cautious voice. The boy said nothing as the cool breeze of the night waded through the hair on his head. A thicker breeze suddenly struck, and Ty Lee shivered as she brought her hands up to her body to cover her bare arms.

"I'm fine. I want to be alone" the boy tried to answer as calmly as possible, for he did not like to yell at Ty Lee, who just didn't deserve it. She was too sweet, too innocent. However, his face didn't completely mask his feigned calmness, and Ty Lee quickly figured that she should allow the boy some peace.

"…Okay, I'll take your word for it. I only want to help you, but if you're fine, then that's okay" Ty Lee reassuringly let out, hoping Zuko really was fine like he claimed to be. Zuko's rage lifted a little after hearing that he had someone's support, something he thought he lacked. Ty Lee hopped over the bench acrobatically and took a seat a few feet away from her friend.

"I appreciate it" Zuko mumbled out half-heartedly. The breeze continued to rush and didn't stop its torment, sending cold chills to any unfortunate creature lying upon the magnificent Earth's crust. Hearing the chattering of teeth and long, drawn breaths, Zuko turned his head to the source of the noises.

"Geez, it's freezing out here!" Ty Lee shuddered, trying to wrap herself in a ball to keep every bit of natural heat in her body circulating throughout her figure. She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped them with her arms. She buried her head in her arms as well.

"I'll make a fire" Zuko tried to smile, hoping he would be of some use at least. After seeing the girl nod appreciatively, Zuko burst flames from his hands and looked for something to light on fire. After searching his surroundings for a minute or two and finding nothing, Zuko heard the girl speak.

"If you can't find anything, can you at least hold the fire up to me?" Ty Lee pleaded, being willing to accept any means of finding warmth. Although Zuko would have liked his idea better, he decided to simply listen to the girl. Ty Lee moved closer to Zuko and watched him bring his hands to near her shoulders. Ty Lee smiled at the instant pleasure of escaping the terrible temperature of the darkness.

However, only one side of Ty Lee was warmed and Zuko's arm became tired rather quickly, something that surprised even himself. An idea flashed through the girl's mind and a smile came to her face. Zuko was surprised to feel a body leaning against him, a look of confusion on his face.

"Ty Lee, what are you doing?" Zuko asked nervously.

"It's freezing" the girl replied, a playful smile on her face. She snuggled closer to him and enough so that her head found a spot in the curve of the boy's neck. She used to love teasing him as children, for she found it very funny when he became irritated. The prince found a blush creeping upon his cheeks. Clearly uneasy, Zuko couldn't think of much to say.

"But…this is…" Zuko stuttered. "..."

"Oh, come on. There's nothing wrong with this. Sharing body heat will warm both of us" Ty Lee reasoned. "And wow, aren't you so warm!"

"What if they see us?" Zuko asked, referring to his sister and his girlfriend. He would have expected them to be here since their childhood friend was here. He dreaded their possible arrival because much explaining would be necessary.

"We'll just tell them that it's freezing" the girl giggled, not feeling ridiculously cold anymore. Zuko protested no more and, instead, put his arm around the girl's shoulders since her top did nothing to cover her up, something the young girl was thankful for.

A small smile came to Zuko's face as he found himself to be useful to someone, rather than being the moody jerk everyone made him out to be. Ty Lee found herself being grateful to Zuko and smiled as his body warmed hers on such a freezing night.

**The End**


	3. Neglect

Ty Luko Week 2009: Neglect

**Neglect**

"Mother, ask father to train with me. I don't want Azula to be better than me" a young Zuko pleaded to his mother, who did nothing but sigh. The prince looked up hopefully and caught Ursa's tired glance.

"A true soldier trains himself, dearest," Ursa spoke as she softly patted the young child's head. "Only through your own struggles will you discover more about yourself"

"But I want to learn more advanced fire bending techniques now" Zuko stubbornly persisted, hopping up and down out of annoyance.

"Maybe some other time. Besides, father is very busy" Ursa explained.

"Busy training Azula!" Zuko yelled from frustration as he stormed off, a look of displeasure covering his mother's face. Ursa watched him walk away and stood where she was, no word being capable of escaping her lips.

"The man needs to spend some time with him…" Ursa whispered to herself as she retreated to her quarters with much on her mind.

Zuko walked through the enormous palace, scowling. It wasn't long until he had reached the room he had come to despise with an intense hatred. Looking in through the slightly opened door, Zuko saw a sweaty, clearly exhausted Azula kneeling before her father. Fire Lord Ozai was putting her through intense training as always, for he had high hopes for her.

Zuko looked away in disgust, tears nearly escaping his aching eyes. He hated it all. He hated Azula. He hated his father. And most of all, he hated the attention he desired but never received. He walked out of the palace and made his way to the turtle-duck pond. At least they would appreciate him.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Very nice, Ty Lin!" Ty Lee's mother cheered after seeing her daughter successfully pin arrows upon a very small target. Both of the girl's parents clapped with grins upon their faces. Ty Lee was also amazed with her sister's talents. She decided it was her turn to show her parents what she could do.

"Mom, dad! Watch me-" Ty Lee smiled as she got up in front of her parents, wishing to show off how good she had become in her acrobatic hobbies.

"Not right now, darling," Ty Lee's mother broke in. "I am very busy and must get back to working"

"But you watched Ty Lin…" the young girl protested, a frown suddenly plastered upon her small, round face.

"That's no matter Ty Lee. Go play outside" the mother ordered, pointing towards the door. She held a stern and serious look upon her face.

"Mom! Wh-" Ty Lee started before being cut off.

"Enough young lady!" Ty Lee's father roared. "Listen to your mother"

"You just don't care about me!" Ty Lee yelled as she turned to run, tears flowing rapidly from her eyes. She bolted away before either parent could stop her, and possibly even discipline her.

"I'll go talk to her" Ty Lin reassured as she made her way towards the path her younger sister took to get away. Her parents nodded but remained speechless.

Ty Lee sat upon her bed, holding herself close. She wanted the tears to stop flowing but made no move to wipe them away. She was sick of it all. She never received any attention in this hell she called home. It seemed no one cared about her. To her it did, anyways.

"Ty Lee?" a familiar voice spoke from the girl's door. It was Ty Lin such as Ty Lee had thought. She met the girl with a vicious glare. "Are you okay?"

"No! I hate you! Mom and dad never ever pay attention to me and all they care about is you! You, you, you!" Ty Lee screamed, hopping off of her bed and running out of the door, willing to do anything to get away from her older sister.

"Ty Lee, I'm sorry-" Ty Lin tried to comfort the girl. However, Ty Lee was already halfway down the hall and, in another second, out of sight. She stood there ashamed, feel guiltier than ever.

Ty Lee ran from her house, ignoring any question her other sisters threw at her. All she wanted was to go away. Maybe she would run away to the circus one day, maybe not. But for now, she headed towards the Fire Nation's Royal Palace, hoping to see her friends. At least she was noticed there.

XXXXXXXXXX

As Zuko walked through the back courtyard of the palace, he was surprised to see someone sitting before the pond he was heading to. He slowly made his way there and soon found himself standing behind his friend, Ty Lee. The two had become very close over the last year, playing games and pulling pranks on Azula, something both enjoyed.

"Hey, Ty Lee" Zuko almost smiled, something rarely seen upon his young, scar-free face. He took a seat beside her and stared at her, awaiting the response that never came. "Are you okay?"

"…No…" the girl sobbed softly. The young prince couldn't help but to feel sorry for her. She was always so happy and the girl in front of him was so unlike her.

"What's wrong?" Zuko spoke softly. "You can tell me"

"They don't care about me" the girl whispered, sniffling.

"Who?"

"My mom and dad. They only care about my sisters…"

"That's not true" Zuko tried to comfort the girl.

"Yes it is! No one cares about me. I should just run away" Ty Lee spoke sadly, looking at the grass beneath her. She didn't meet Zuko's soft glance. Neither said anything for a minute or two.

"Don't run away. I care about you" Zuko smiled at the girl, who looked up at him.

"Thanks" she smiled back, wrapping her fingers through Zuko's, who gently squeezed her hand in return. With their fingers interlocked and their eyes connecting, both felt some more comfort.

"I'll always be there for you. You're never alone"

**The End**


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